The Lam family has been in the Humble restaurant business since 1994 when Richard Lam’s father opened a sushi bar called Sushaya to provide a nice place to bring business customers from the oil and gas industry. But because customers in Humble were unfamiliar with sushi at the time, in the late ’90s, Lam said the family added a Chinese menu, changed the restaurant’s name to Asian City, and designated him as the new owner. In 2002, Lam expanded the restaurant to accommodate iron-plate—or teppanyaki—cooking stations, which are often called hibachi grills. “By far, the hibachi dishes are the most popular of the different Asian styles of food we offer,” Lam said. A typical day for Lam involves checking in with Arun Banskota, the restaurant’s general manager for 19 years, and Joseph Vinson, assistant manager since November. Lam said he brainstorms ideas to enhance the culinary offerings, taking note of dishes that are ordered often and ones that are not popular. He responds to all online reviews of his restaurant and makes sure DoorDash and Uber Eats orders are delivered without a glitch. “We are always trying to think of the next big thing,” he said. To differentiate his restaurant from other Asian eateries in the Lake Houston area, Lam said he likes to add interesting flavors, such as lamb, venison and sea bass. “We are willing to try new things,” he said. “We might introduce alligator.” On Friday nights, Lam dines at the restaurant with his family. The staff is treated like members of the Lam family, Lam said. The two veteran sushi chefs have worked at Asian City for at least 20 years, he said. Banskota said taking good care of customers is also a priority. When former professional boxer George Foreman used to live in Huffman—a small town located east of Atascocita beyond Lake Houston—he would dine at Asian City with his family, often bringing as many as 60 people with him at one time, he said. Lam said he is grateful to Asian City’s customers for supporting the restaurant for the past 24 years.